Why Conditioning Matters in Tennis

Tennis is one of the most physically demanding individual sports. A typical high school match can last 60 to 90 minutes, requiring repeated sprints, lateral cuts, and overhead movements with minimal rest between points. Players who are not physically prepared will see their technique break down, their decision-making suffer, and their injury risk increase as matches wear on.

Conditioning is not punishment. It is preparation. The fittest player on the court has a competitive advantage in every close match, every third set, and every tiebreaker. We train our bodies so that fitness is never the reason we lose a point.

What to Expect

Conditioning will be integrated into practice twice per week, as outlined in the team’s Conditioning Plan. These sessions take place during the last 10 minutes of practice (4:45–4:55 PM) and rotate through three focus areas:

Speed & Agility: Suicide sprints, lateral shuffles, spider drills, split-step reaction work.
Endurance & Recovery: Extended rally intervals, baseline-to-net sprints, point simulation with timed rest.
Core & Injury Prevention: Plank circuits, resistance band shoulder work, single-leg balance, wrist/forearm strengthening.

On match days, conditioning is replaced by the match itself. On the day before a match, conditioning intensity is reduced by 50%. During weeks with two matches, dedicated conditioning may be eliminated entirely since match play provides sufficient physical demand.

General Fitness Expectations

Every player on this roster is expected to take ownership of their physical readiness. That means showing up prepared to work, pushing through discomfort, and taking care of your body outside of practice. Specifically:

Give full effort. Conditioning only works if you push yourself. Walking through a sprint drill helps no one. You get out what you put in.
****Bring a water bottle to every practice and match. Start hydrating well before you arrive. Dehydration degrades your performance faster than anything else.
****Athletes need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. This is where your body recovers and adapts. Cutting sleep cuts your performance.
Eat well. Fuel your body with whole foods. Limit processed sugar and junk food, especially on match days. Eat a balanced meal 2 to 3 hours before competition.
Warm up every time. Never skip the dynamic warm-up. Cold muscles are vulnerable muscles. The 10-minute team warm-up at the start of every practice exists for a reason.
Cool down and stretch. Static stretching after practice helps maintain flexibility and reduces soreness. Take the 5-minute cool down seriously.